I received my first AF trains for Xmas in about 1950.  My parents created a great layout with mountains, roads, buildings and accesories. To make a long story short I dragged the trains out of the attic about 4 years ago, and began to build a layout.  I started with a 4X8, within a year it wasn't big enough and no landscaping had been done.  So I increased it to 5 X 10, re-did all the track and accessory hookups, and have now decided it is not what I want.  So I have been looking at an elongated U plan about  12 X 16.  Still early in planning and mostly looking at other peoples layouts to gain some design ideas.  Oh yes I have been busy on eBay and my train collection keeps gowign so I need more room to park and run all the trains I have collected.